¡cállate, vaca gorda!
The English phrase "shut up, you fat cow!" is translated into Spanish as ¡cállate, vaca gorda!
This phrase is a rude command to stop talking combined with an insulting remark about a person's weight.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb cállate is the reflexive imperative form of callarse, which literally means "shut yourself up".
Which one should you use?
You may encounter ¡cállese, vaca gorda! The latter uses the formal usted conjugation. Because the insult remains vulgar, this creates a jarring and often sarcastic contrast between the formal command and the insult.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¡cállate, vaca gorda! is highly informal and aggressive. It is used only in heated arguments or extreme insults.
Did you know?
- While usually an insult, calling a close friend vaca can be a playful or ironic term of endearment depending on the context.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone a vaca is not just about weight but can specifically imply that the person is clumsy or slow.
- In Spain, the aggressive command ¡cállate! is frequently shortened to ¡calla!, which maintains the same meaning but can sound slightly less harsh.
Examples in context
- Dijo: ¡cállate, vaca gorda!He said: shut up, you fat cow!
Example conversation
A heated argument between two neighbors in a hallway.
- Javier¡Cállate, vaca gorda!Shut up, you fat cow!
- María¡No me hables así, Javier!Don't talk to me like that, Javier!
- Javier¡Eres una grosera!You are rude!
- María¡Tú eres el grosero!You are the rude one!
